Tara Vineyard

Tara Vineyard, named after the stately residence adjacent to our winery, was planted for us by Dutton Ranch in 1998. Its inaugural vintage, the 2001, was awarded a Gold Medal and Best of Class for Pinot noirs at the competitive Sonoma County Harvest Fair and the vineyard’s success has continued unabated ever since.

Tara Vineyard Pinot noir is on an easterly facing slope, providing protection from direct afternoon heat and sunlight. Tara Vineyard is unique in our area in that its soil type is Huichica loam. Known for its ability to produce high quality grapes, Huichica loam is a “river and terrace” soil type and otherwise occurs on the eastern banks of the Russian River. This island of Huichica soil is identifiable in our vineyard by its dark charcoal color that contrast with the surrounding browner soils.

Planted to Dijon clone 115, Tara Vineyard has been slowly brought to maturation. Irrigation has been minimized to produce fruit with concentration and character. Some additional planting of clone 37 are also taking place at Tara Vineyard.